Housing I:Livestock Housing & Legislation

Question 1

Animal Welfare Act 2006

Answer 1

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of animals are met. Include the need:
̶ for a suitable environment
̶ for a suitable diet
̶ to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
̶ to be housed with, or apart from, other animals
̶ to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
• Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison.

Question 2

Legislation relating to keeping farm animals

Answer 2

• • • • •
Animal Welfare Act 2006
Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended) Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
TheWelfareofFarmedAnimals(Wales)Regulations2007 Codes of Practice for farmed animals Northern Ireland
Areas include:
Buildingsandaccommodation Animalsnotkeptinbuildings Automaticormechanicalequipment Feed,waterandothersubstances

Question 3

The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007:

Answer 3

̶ Animals shall be kept on, or have access at all times to, a lying area which either has well-maintained dry bedding or is well-drained.
̶ Sick or injured animals shall be isolated in suitable accommodation with dry comfortable bedding.
̶ The freedom of movement of animals shall not be restricted in such a way as to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury.
̶ Be given the space appropriate to their physiological and ethological needs.

Question 4

Ventilation

Answer 4

̶ air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative air humidity and gas concentrations shall be kept within limits which are not harmful to the animals.
̶ Effective ventilation of buildings (to avoid high humidity, condensation and draughts) is essential.

Question 5

Building and equipment

Answer 5

̶ materials used for the construction of accommodation shall not be harmful to them and shall be capable of being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
̶ accommodation and fittings for securing animals shall be constructed and maintained so that there are no sharp edges or protrusions likely to cause injury to them.

Question 6

Lighting

Answer 6

̶ Where animals are kept in a building, adequate lighting shall be available to enable them to be thoroughly inspected at any time.
̶ Animals kept in buildings shall not be kept in permanent darkness
̶ Appropriate artificial lighting shall be provided where natural light available in a building is insufficient

Question 7

Straw yards for cows

Answer 7

̶ For dairy herds, the straw yards should cleaned out every four to six weeks – reduce the risk of bacteria i.e. environmental mastitis.
̶ Frequency of cleaning can be reduced in suckler herds
̶ Enough room for all the animals in the management group to lie down and move around freely

Question 8

Cubicles for cows

Answer 8

̶ should be designed to encourage cows to lie down and stand up easily without injuring themselves.
̶ Must never use a bare, solid base.
̶ 5% more cubicles than the number of cows in the management group is recommended.
̶ Keep slurry to a minimum, either by scraping out the passageways at least twice a day or by using slatted passageways.

Question 9

Cowsheds

Answer 9

̶ Lying area should be big enough to help keep the cows clean and comfortable and to avoid them damaging their joints
̶ Feed and water troughs - designed and placed where smaller animals cannot get into them and should be kept clean
̶ Internal surfaces of housing and pens should be made of materials easy to clean, disinfect and easily replace
̶ Use paints or wood preservatives that are safe to use with animals

Question 10

Space allowances for cows

Answer 10

Factor for cattle housed in groups:
̶ the whole environment;
̶ the age, sex, liveweight and behavioural needs of the stock;
̶ the size of the group; and
̶ whether any of the animals have horns.

Question 11

Calves confined for rearing and fattening
Floors
Must be:

Answer 11

̶ be smooth but not slippery.
̶ designed, constructed and maintained so as not to cause injury or suffering to calves standing or lying on them.
̶ suitable for the size and weight of the calves.
̶ form a rigid, even and stable surface.

Question 12

Ventilation for cows

Answer 12

̶ Air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative humidity and gas concentrations shall be kept within limits.
̶ The buildings should provide enough ventilation throughout the year
̶ Ideally, slurry tanks should be emptied when the building is not in use. Where this is not possible all stock should be taken out of the building.

Question 13

Accommodation for pigs

Answer 13

• A pig must be free to turn round without difficulty at all times. • Must be constructed in such a way as to allow each pig to:
̶ stand up, lie down and rest without difficulty;
̶ have a clean, comfortable and adequately drained place in which it can rest;
̶ maintain a comfortable temperature; and
̶ have enough space to allow all the animals to lie down at the same time.
19

Dimension of stall or pen used for holding individual pigs must be:
̶ internal area is not less than the square of the length of the pig, and
̶ no internal side is less than 75% of the length of the pig

Question 14

Floors for pigs

Answer 14

̶ smooth but not slippery;
̶ designed, constructed and maintained so as not to cause injury or suffering to pigs standing or lying on them;
̶ suitable for the size and weight of the pigs; and
̶ where no litter is provided, form a rigid, even and stable surface.
Where concrete slatted floors are used for pigs kept in groups, the maximum width of the openings must be –
(a) 11 mm for piglets;
(b) 14 mm for weaners;
(c) 18 mm for rearing pigs; and
(d) 20 mm for gilts after service and sows

Question 15

Enrichment for pigs

Answer 15

• All pigs must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material such as straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat
• Enrichment materials should enable pigs to fulfil their essential behavioural needs without compromising their health.
• Must have the following characteristics:
edible— so that pigs can eat or smell them, (possibly with some nutritional
benefits);
chewable— so that pigs can bite them; investigable— so that pigs can investigate them; and
manipulability— so that pigs can change their location, appearance or structure.

Question 16

Ventilation and temperature for pigs

Answer 16

Pigs should be kept at a comfortable temperature and ventilate them to keep them cool. Methods can use include:
̶ blowing air over the pigs
̶ water spray or misting
̶ wetting part of the floor

Question 17

Lighting and noise levels for pigs

Answer 17

• There should be enough lighting (fixed or portable) to be able to inspect pigsat any time
• Have at least 40 lux of lighting for 8 hours a day
• Give pigs rest from artificial light for parts of the day
• Pigs must not be exposed to constant or sudden noise.

Question 18

Poultry - laying birds

Floors and perches

Answer 18

̶ From suitable design and material that are comfortable and do not cause pain, distress or injury to the hens
̶ provide sufficient support, particularly for the forward facing toes and claws of each foot.
̶ Perch should be of the correct diameter to permit the bird to grasp it

Question 19

Nests for laying birds

Answer 19

̶ must be a separate space for egg laying and the floor component of which may not include wire mesh which can come into contact with the birds.
̶ substrates provided in the nest area should create an environment which encourages nesting/pre-laying behaviour
̶ secluded, clearly separated from other areas and draught free

Question 20

Stocking density

Laying hens in non-cage systems

Answer 20

̶ The stocking density must not exceed nine laying hens per m2 of usable area

Question 21

Stocking density

Laying hens in enriched cages

Answer 21

̶ at least 750 cm2 of cage area per hen, 600 cm2 of which must be usable
̶ the height of the cage other than that above the usable area must be at least 20 cm at every point and the minimum total area for any cage must be 2000 cm2.

Question 22

meat birds Space requirement

Answer 22

If you have 500 or more conventionally reared meat chickens on your holding you can stock birds at up to 33kg per square metre. You can increase this up to 39kg birds per square metre but there are extra requirements

All chickens must have enough freedom of movement to be able to stand normally, turn around and stretch their wings without difficulty. They should also have enough space to be able to sit without interference from other birds.

Question 23

Ventilation

Answer 23

Ventilation needs to provide enough fresh air for the birds and to keep the litter dry and friable (easy to work and powdery).

You should:

control dust levels
control carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and ammonia levels

You must also make sure that each house has ventilation and (if needed) a heating and cooling system that:

keeps the concentration of ammonia (NH3) below 20 parts per million (ppm), measured at the level of the chickens’ heads
keeps the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) below 3,000ppm, measured at the level of the chickens’ heads

Question 24

• Lighting

Answer 24

You should house chickens at light levels that let them see clearly and stimulate activity. Lighting systems should give at least 20 lux at bird-eye height and illuminate at least 80% of the usable area.

You can temporarily reduce the lighting level following a vet’s advice, for example if there are behavioural problems like cannibalism.

You must make sure that within 7 days of placing chickens in the building and until 3 days before the expected time of slaughter, lighting must:

follow a 24-hour rhythm cycle (at least 8 hours of artificial lighting each day)
include periods of darkness lasting at least 6 hours in total
have at least 1 uninterrupted period of darkness of at least 4 hours (excluding dimming periods)

Question 25

Automatic or mechanical equipment

Answer 25

You should place, operate and maintain equipment so that noise is kept to as low a level as possible.

You should keep all equipment and surfaces clean and inspect them to make sure they’re in good working order and fix any problems immediately. You must inspect any equipment essential for the health and wellbeing of your animals at least once a day.

Equipment you need to inspect includes:

feed hoppers
drinkers
ventilating fans
heating and lighting units
fire extinguishers
alarm systems
You must have:

a failsafe or standby device for any automated equipment that birds depend on for their welfare
an automated ventilation system and an alarm system to warn the flock-keeper of automatic equipment failure
You must test these systems weekly and fix any faults immediately.

Question 26

legislation requirements for housing/shelter for outdoor pigs

Answer 26

All outdoor accommodation used, including arcs, huts and tents, should be provided with bedding appropriate to the time of year and have a warm, draught-free lying area. This is especially important for the sow and litter at farrowing, during the suckling period and for newly weaned pigs.
182. Owners/keepers should properly maintain outdoor accommodation and equipment and ensure that there are no sharp edges that may injure the animals.
183. Adequate shelter must be provided to protect pigs from extreme weather conditions. Outdoor accommodation should be secured to the ground if its construction is susceptible to high winds and should be sited so that
the doorways can be adjusted to allow for changing wind direction.
184. Effort should be made to avoid wet conditions inside the accommodation through better siting and bedding management.
185. Adequate shelter must also be provided to protect against sunburn, for example, through the provision of shade and or wallows. The accommodation should have shutters at the opposite end to the door to provide through ventilation.

186. In hot conditions, lactating sows may
     be prompted to leave the farrowing accommodation to seek more comfortable conditions outside, effectively abandoning their litters for long periods of the day. Owners/keepers should consider how to allow the sow to comfortably feed piglets in a cooler environment. Farrowing accommodation should be able to manage higher or lower temperature variations through various options, which may include extra ventilation, insulation or bedding.
187. Farrowing accommodation should be sited on level ground with appropriate bedding. Suitable fenders should be used to prevent very young piglets from straying during the post-farrowing period.
188. Where pigs are held at a collection area prior to transport, the accommodation should be clean, rested, operate on an ‘All In - All Out’ basis and have adequate water provision.